Just So You Know
by beautiful.and.freaky
Summary: A Kendall/Jo/Carlos three-shot: He never intended to hurt her. No, that was the last thing he wanted to do. But he did. And it was all because of one stupid and reckless kiss. He should have known better anyways. She was already taken.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Big Time Rush or any of its characters. Just me and my imagination. But please be aware that this story is entirely inspired by the music video of "Just So You Know" by Jesse McCartney. It's a song that everyone should listen to. At some point in life, you probably have experienced the true meaning of this incredible song.

* * *

**Just So You Know**

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* * *

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How does it feel to be in love with your best friend's girlfriend? According to Carlos Garcia, it sucks big time.

For the past four months, Carlos Garcia has been avoiding his best friend and his girlfriend whenever they are together. Just seeing those two holding hands makes his stomach woozy and queasy. It was as if he had been food poisoned; only, there was no possible way to cure it.

At first, he doubted loving her, knowing that it's never a good thing to chase after someone who's already taken by a friend. But every now and then, his mind would always wander off to the pretty girl. Her dark eyes were a constant favorite of the Latino. And dreaming about gazing into them made him feel a lot worse about it. He knew it wasn't right, not wanting to get into a huge fight with his best friend just because of a girl. It was stupid, but his heart wasn't getting the message at all.

"Fight it, Carlos. Fight it," he would occasionally tell himself alone to control his feelings. But he just couldn't. It was impossible, and he never meant to hurt anyone because of it.

* * *

"Kendall and Jo, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G… First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby—"

"Shut up!" Carlos pleaded, screaming on top of his lungs as his hands flew up to cover both of his ears. He wasn't in the mood to hear any of James Diamond's mockeries, knowing that the boy would never stop once he starts.

Unfortunately, the pretty boy kept right at it. He continued on, singing his whole heart out. James loved the terrified look on the Latino's face, and he loved every moment when Carlos would grab a nearby object and shot it at him. Of course, James would simply dodge it and sing even louder, knowing how annoyed Carlos must have been.

Logan Mitchell stared blankly at the two on the sidelines, not sure what to do. Even if he was the genius in the group, he was certainly clueless when it comes to love. He had no idea that Carlos was in love with Kendall Knight's girlfriend. Worse of all, he was oblivious to the fact that Jo Taylor was the main reason why Carlos didn't thrive to get a girlfriend. She was all he ever wanted, but he just couldn't have her.

"James, be quiet," Logan spoke up softly, moments later. "Kendall will personally murder you if he discovers that you're singing that."

"Yes, Father," James replied with a roll of his eyes. He soon got up and left the living room of apartment 2J, hoping to find someone or something else to amuse him.

The Latino let out a sigh of relief. He then thanked his friend for stopping the irritating chant, saying, "You have no idea how much I love you right now."

Logan chuckled. "You definitely don't hear that every day."

Carlos shrugged his shoulders at that remark. He really was grateful for having someone like Logan. Besides, he was probably the closest out of his three best guy friends, and he wouldn't change a single thing about that. He loved Logan, like an older brother. He was that one person who sincerely understood him no matter what situation Carlos was stuck in. For sure, Logan Mitchell was his inspiration and motivation to live and be strong.

"Logan, how would you react if your best friend is in love with your girlfriend?" Carlos randomly asked quietly, popping up the question, as he shifted around in his seat. He was uncertain about this problem. Although, he had no doubt about trusting Logan at all. He was just afraid of what he would answer.

The boy blinked as he plopped down next to the Latino, unsure how to respond. Logan thought about it for a couple of minutes, wanting to find just the right words to completely say it thoroughly but in a simple way. "In the first place, we should never flirt in any way with our best friend's girlfriend, Carlos," Logan stated, raising his eyebrows at him. "What are you trying to say here? Is James flirting with Camille?"

"No!" Carlos quickly cried out, not wanting Logan to get the wrong idea. "It was just a theoretical question. Trust me."

By this point, Logan was beginning to gain suspicious, and he wanted to know exactly what was happening. "Uh, okay…" To him, it sounded to be more of a hypothetical question, not theoretical.

"I was just curious. That's it… But seriously, what would you do if you were stuck in that kind of situation?"

"I'll probably go off and rant about how that friend of mine betrayed me. I mean, it's not really a pleasant thing to hear someone say that a friend of yours is hitting on your girlfriend."

"But what if that best friend wasn't planning to break you two apart? He just has those tingling feelings whenever he sees you and her together. For instance, he stays all quiet about it because he doesn't know what to do at all."

"In other words, he's too scared to admit that he likes her because he doesn't want to lose his best friend or hurt anyone of them…?"

Carlos slightly smiled. "Exactly."

"Then that person is screwed," Logan declared, ending the conversation on a harsh note, as he got up from his seat. He soon left the Latino alone in the room, having the urge to call Camille and ask her if someone was flirting with her in reality and whether or not if it was one of his best friends.

* * *

Carlos was driving himself insane. In fact, he actually thought about checking himself into a mental hospital or seeing a therapist. At times, he found himself locked up in his own bedroom, crying and thinking about what Logan had said to him the other day. Then some other times, he realized he was watching Kendall Knight and Jo Taylor from a far distance, having the desire that he was the one that the girl was falling for, not Kendall. It even got worse when he started to daydream about the pretty blonde every single time. To be precise, Carlos couldn't even get at least two hours of sleep nightly just because he was thinking about her.

So one day, he decided that it was time. It was finally time to tell that certain girl how he truly felt about her. He didn't care if she didn't share the same feelings towards him. He was just desperate to get the word out of his chest, wishing that it was the answer to his problems. And hopefully, his best friend and his girlfriend would find a place in their hearts to forgive him, knowing that it was probably the last thing they both wanted to hear.

"Carlos, where are you going?" Logan Mitchell asked him tiredly one night, wiping his eyes in an attempt to stay awake. "You do realize that it's 3 o'clock in the morning, right?"

"Crap," the Latino cursed under his breath. He totally forgot that Logan was a light sleeper, and trying to sneak off without him finding out was not going to be an easy task.

"Answer me," Logan ordered, clearing his throat, as he crossed his arms firmly across his chest.

Hesitantly, Carlos turned around and forced a smile. "Hi, Logan."

"Don't avoid the question, Carlos… Where are you doing?" he snarled as he glanced the boy up and down, observing and wondering what he was up to.

Carlos let out a defeated sigh. He hated the fact how practically nobody could get around Logan without letting the tiny bit of information slip out. "I'm going to see Jo."

"Why?"

"Just because."

"Does Kendall know about this?"

"No."

Now, Logan was sighing. He soon relaxed a bit and frowned. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered.

"What do you mean?" Carlos said. His head was cocked to the right side as he looked at the boy in awe. He didn't remember mentioning about him liking Jo to Logan.

"I've been watching you, Carlos… I've seen the way you look at her for the past couple of days. It's like you want Jo for your own. But you know you can't have her… And I've seen your eyes piercing at Kendall whenever he's with her, showing how frustrated and hateful you feel towards him… How, Carlos? How did this happen to you?... Last time I remembered, you were fine when Kendall won her heart."

Carlos shivered, having a quick flashback when he and his friend competed for the girl on the first day she arrived. "I really don't know, Logan… This feeling's taking control of me, and I can't help it."

"Well, whatever you're thinking about doing, just stop it. You're not helping yourself at this rate… You need to stop liking Jo."

"I don't like her, though. I _love_ her," he corrected, looking away from his friend. "And I plan on telling her tonight…"

"Carlos, don't—"

"And I don't care if you guys are going to hate me forever. But I'm doing it."

With that, Carlos stormed out of the shared apartment, leaving Logan in total shock. And for that moment, Carlos regretted the fact that he snapped at his best friend. But then again, he was wrong about the genius. Logan didn't understand him at all, for the matter. Although, this was the only time that he and Logan had an out-of-control argument, so he still wasn't sure.

* * *

It was 3:17 A.M. by the time Carlos arrived in front of Jo's apartment. With a huff, he slowly brought up a tightly clenched fist and knocked on the door three times. Relieved that he had gotten this far, he casually slipped his hands into his pockets and waited for an answer or somewhat that shows a single person is alive behind the wooden entrance.

About two minutes later, the door finally swung open. Behind it was a sleepy Jo Taylor. She was dressed in a matching pink pajama set that Carlos found to be quite adorable. And at the sight of her, he slightly smiled and flashed a small wave.

"Hi," Carlos greeted her, showing off his goofy grin.

Jo yawned as she let the Latino in. "Logan texted me that you were coming over… So, what's up?"

Right then and there, Carlos Garcia was speechless. He didn't know what to do. It would have been easier to tell the girl how much he truly loved her. But after she mentioned Logan, he suddenly didn't want to. Who knows what Logan could have said to the girl?

"I, uh, just wanted to check up on you," he coughed up, saying the lamest excuse that he could ever think of fast.

"I'm fine, thank you. But it's like 3:30 right now, and I'm much more worried about you… Is this really all you wanted to talk about?"

Hesitantly, Carlos nodded. "Yeah. I just wanted to see you again 'cause we never really gotten a chance talk to each other nowadays because you're too busy with Kendall, and—" he stopped himself, realizing that he said too much already.

Jo giggled and put on a genuine smile. "I'll always have time for you, Carlos… If you want, you can come with me and Kendall today… We're planning to take a hike in a nearby woods just to get away from this town, you know… So, do you wanna come?"

"Is Kendall okay with this?"

"Don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll be fine with it. Besides, you are one of his best friends… It'll be fun!"

Carlos was not fully convinced. Sure, he wanted to spend a day with her. But he didn't know what he would do. Would he go all crazy? Will he let his true feelings slip? And how can he handle the fact that he'll be watching Kendall and Jo smooch and cuddle with each other on the whole trip? It will definitely be sickening for him. But still…

"Sure, Jo. I'd love to come with you," Carlos said through gritted teeth.

Jo smiled once again as she leaned over to give him a friendly hug, showing how grateful she is. She soon pulled away and said, "Well, we're gonna leave at 12 o'clock, so you better get your rest… Got it?"

"Yeah," he promised.

Little does Jo know that not only Carlos promised to get a good sleep, but he vowed to himself that during their trip, he'll finally have the guts to tell her that he loves her.

* * *

A few hours later, Carlos woke up to the sound of a ringing cell phone. Annoyed, he rolled around in his bed, ready to tell whoever owned that phone to answer it already to shut the friggin' noise up. However, to his dismay, he saw Kendall lying awake in his own bed with his cell phone glued to his left ear. Apparently, the tall blonde hadn't notice that Carlos was already up. Besides, he expected him to be peacefully asleep since he had caught the Latino sneaking into their room not too long again, and Carlos definitely looked exhausted by the time he reached his mattress.

Quickly, Carlos shut his eyes close. He didn't want to be seen eavesdropping or anything, and he really didn't want to anyways.

"Are you serious?" Kendall spoke softly into his phone. He then groaned and sighed quietly, not wanting to disturb his friends in their deep slumbers. "But Jo—"

Faintly, Carlos could hear the girl's voice through the speakers, saying, "He's your best friend, Kendall. Let him have some fun for once... Besides, Carlos and I never really gotten a chance to know each other ever since I came. Plus, I heard Logan is off with Camille for another date while Katie is practically blackmailing James to come with her to watch some gruesome movie that your mom disapproves... You wouldn't be such a good best friend if you let him all alone for the rest of the day, now would you?"

"Why must you be so logical?" Kendall asked his girlfriend, slightly smiling. He still didn't like the idea of Carlos coming along, but Jo was right. He wouldn't be a great friend at all if he leaves the Latino bored and all by himself for the rest of the day.

"Deal with it," Jo spat out, giggling. "Love you, Kendall."

"Love you too," the tall blonde replied back before hanging up.

Love. It was the one thing that Carlos Garcia felt, but will never receive from that one person whom he wishes to spend his entire life and grow old with.

Just thinking about it made Carlos question things. Was this trip going to worth it or pointless? Jo didn't share the feelings with him anyways, so why even bother, right? But still, he gets the chance to spend time with here, which hardly ever happens since the day Kendall Knight and Jo Taylor became inseparable.

"Carlos, I know you're awake. Stop pretending."

Startled, Carlos' eyes fluttered open as he bolted from the bed, sitting upright to face the speaker. He then took in a deep breath after noticing that Kendall was the one talking to him. Although, the tall blonde stayed motionless in his own mattress, lying still and staring off at the top of the room.

"I just woke up, Kendall," Carlos said, forcing a smile, as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. He has been told that he was a terrible liar by several people, but now he's hoping for a change. "I think you're hallucinating."

Kendall Knight soon sat up to face the Latino. He smiled and chuckled at that pathetic comeback. "That was lame, dude."

"Whatever," Carlos coughed up, rolling his eyes.

"Anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," Kendall began off, talking in a sincere voice. "I love you and all, but I just love Jo so much that I would love it if you didn't come so that Jo and I would have some time alone... I'm not saying that you should back off from this trip, but I just hope you understand why I'm sorta acting all protective and stuff these days... I just really love Jo. That's it."

Carlos only nodded, acting like an obeying puppy. Although, he wasn't feeling too good anymore inside. By now, Kendall's love towards Jo is making it harder for him to keep his promise of telling the girl his secret feelings during the trip.

Kendall laughed once more, grinning proudly for some reason. "Eventually, you'll find out what I mean when you're certain that you have found that one special girl whom you wanna live with for the rest of your life."

I think I already have, and her name is simply Jo Taylor, Carlos thought to himself.

* * *

Kendall Knight, Jo Taylor, and Carlos Garcia hopped onto their train ride towards the nearest woods. They figured that they would seem to be asking for a grand big welcoming party to run up to them if they showed up in a limo, so they all decided to keep it casual and simple by going to a local station. And apparently, they were right. So far, only a few has asked for their autographs and photos. Best of all, there were no signs of paparazzi.

And by the time they have arrived, they grabbed their belongings and walked off the train to take in the beautiful sight and smell of nature.

"You two wait right here for a few minutes! I'm gonna go and snap some photos, so our fans can see the wonders of the woods!" declared Kendall as he ran off to find some good angles for quick images.

Carlos and Jo laughed as they watched the teenage boy skipping off excitedly.

"What do you honestly see in him?" Carlos asked Jo once Kendall was out of sight, still laughing. The question wasn't meant to sound rude or anything. It was just a joke, or a small tease.

"He's incredibly talented and incredible, I guess," Jo said, smiling, as she shrugged her shoulders.

Carlos rolled his eyes while he adjusted the straps of his backpack that he was currently wearing. He then took a couple of steps closer to Jo and said, "And you're saying that I'm not?"

Jo placed her pale gentle hands on both of his shoulders and looked at him right in his eyes. "No, Carlos. You, Kendall, James, and Logan are all amazing and talented in your own ways. I'm just saying that..."

Carlos frowned, knowing that Jo couldn't quite answer and defend herself. "That Kendall's a better man than any of us are to you... I get it, Jo."

"Well, I really can't deny the fact that he's my hero or anything, but Kendall is very special to me."

"And I'm not?"

"You are too."

"How?"

Jo didn't even need a split second to answer this. It was like as if she had prepared for this moment in her entire life, and this made Carlos feel a little bit more confident.

She said, without any hesitation, "Unlike Kendall, you're probably the sweetest guy I have ever met. I mean, you hate making people cry and you hate to disappoint others... Besides that, you're a very intelligent person. Now, you may not believe it, but it's true... You got so much potential in you, Carlos. You just have to let go and be set free, like an injured bird who has been taken care of by others who have loved it... And there are so many other reasons, but—"

"Jo, I love you," Carlos blurted out, thinking that the appropriate moment of telling the truth would be now. He stayed calm and serious throughout, wanting to show how much he truly meant it.

"What?"

"I love you," Carlos repeated.

Jo laughed, finding it funny. "I love you too, Carlos... You're like the big brother I never had..."

"No, Jo... I love you," Carlos emphasized, hoping that the pretty girl would understand him.

Unfortunately, she didn't. Instead, Jo stared deep into Carlos' deep chocolate brown eyes to find the answers. Although, the only things she could see were her reflection and how the rays of the Sun were at a perfect angle, making the boy's eyes glisten.

Carlos sighed and tried this over again, saying, "I shouldn't love you, but I want to. And I can't turn away... And I really don't know how to be fine when I'm not 'cause my love for you won't stop..."

"Wait, what?" Jo blinked, snapping out of her trance. She heard Carlos loud and clearly, but she couldn't believe what he was saying to her. Could Carlos really be in love with her even though he is aware that she is taken by his best friend. "Carlos, I honestly don't know what to say right now."

"How about this?"

Without any hesitation, Carlos Garcia leaned forward and kissed the girl gently on her lips. He needed to find out if he did truly loved her or, most importantly, if she loved him back. But no. Jo didn't respond to his kiss. Instead, she quickly pulled away once their lips touched and slapped Carlos right across his face. She didn't know what was happening to the Latino, but she was obviously scared for him and herself.

"I can't be with you!" screeched Jo, taking a few safety steps back so that Carlos won't make a move again. "I'm with Kendall!"

Carlos looked down at the muddy ground. He then began counting how many leaves had fell down from the branches that belonged to a very tall redwood tree above them. And once he reached the number of twenty-five, he stopped and took in a deep breath. He felt ashamed, and he suddenly wanted to kill himself. He couldn't believe he let his actions take control of him like that. But what he really couldn't believe was that he hurt her just by one stupid and reckless kiss.

Of course, Kendall came rushing towards them with that crooked smile of his. But that smile slowly turned into a worried frown as he saw the look of terror in his girlfriend's eyes and the look of disgrace in his best friend's.

"What happened here?" Kendall asked the two, looking at them and trying to figure out by observing their body language.

Carlos and Jo nervously exchanged brief looks at each other. They really didn't want to talk right now, but they were both willing to lie for the sake of Kendall's heart. "Nothing," the said in unison.

"I just saw a lizard..." Jo mumbled, now looking away from Carlos and at her boyfriend.

"I didn't believe her..." Carlos added, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "She's seeing small creatures now, Kendall. It's kinda scaring me..."

Kendall laughed as he approached the two. He then placed his arms around both of his loved ones and pulled them closer to him, seeming as if he didn't want to let go. "Well, I am just settled for having a heck of a good time here! I'm sure there are tons of surprises coming!"

Jo sighed and mumbled under her breath, "You honestly have no idea..."

"What was that, Jo?" he asked his girlfriend, turning his head off to his left side to face the pretty blond. "Did you say something?"

Jo quickly forced a smile and responded, "I meant to say that I totally agree with you..."

"Okay, okay," Kendall laughed, facing the forest again with his own two eyes. "Let's just all enjoy these precious moments while it lasts."

"Agreed," Carlos and Jo chanted, gulping in their hard breaths.

* * *

As their one day quest in the woods continued, Carlos Garcia found himself to be trailing awfully behind the two lovebirds with his hands sticking into his pockets. He would constantly look down whenever Jo would sneak a tiny peek over her shoulders to see what the Latino was doing. Occasionally he could feel his cell phone vibrating, but he did not have the nerves to pick it up. He wished for this trip to be done and finish already, not wanting to remember that stupid little kiss that could easily ruin him and his best friend's friendship.

"Carlos, aren't you going to pick that up?" Kendall asked his friend, stopping in his tracks to face the boy. He cocked his head slightly to one side and plastered small smile, hoping to encourage the Latino.

Carlos looked up and blinked. "Come again?"

"Your phone," the tall blond added, rolling his eyes while laughing. "You should answer it. It could be something important."

"Uh, I don't want to right now…" he replied, taking a brief glance at the girl who was currently clinging onto Kendall's arms. He then looked away and sighed, knowing that he'll never know what it was like to be in love.

"We can wait, you know. Just hurry it up," Kendall assured him, laughing. He then ushered Carlos to leave, and Carlos hesitantly did so.

Carlos simply casually slipped his phone out as he let out a mocking sigh. He soon frowned once he realized that Logan was the one calling.

With one press of a button, Carlos answered the caller as he brought his phone up to his left ear, saying, "Hey. What's up?"

"This isn't Logan. It's James," a familiar voice said.

Carlos was confused by this. What was James doing with Logan's phone. "James? What do you want?"

"Logan's in a panic attack right now—along with Mrs. Knight, Katie, Gustavo, and Kelly, and it's because of you."

"Wait a second. What the hell did I do?" he snapped back, quietly yelling into the little device. He soon began to pace back and forth, getting worried. "I didn't do anything!"

"You kissed Jo. We know everything," he explained. "And how come you're answering your phone just now? We've been trying to call you for the past hour!"

Carlos shook his head frantically, wanting to get all the facts straight and ignoring James' remarks. "How did you know?"

"It's featuring on every entertainment show on television and gossip site on the whole freakin' web, Carlos. Paparazzi are everywhere. You should know better, man. This whole thing is getting insane… Our fans are… Well, they're losing their minds right now. But most importantly, they're hating on you and sympathizing with Kendall."

By then, Carlos looked back and saw Kendall and Jo talking and laughing with each other. He knew he did something so wrong, but he never actually thought that this would become a worldwide critical topic. And now he could only imagine all their fans saying how "KenJo" is way better than "CarJo", or at least something based on those lines.

"You should be lucky that no one's even thinking about contacting Kendall… How do you think he'll react when he finds this out?" James added on, sounding more furious than ever.

Carlos took in a deep breath, letting his mind freshen up. He thought about the problem through and hoped that there was no actual evidence that could prove that he and Jo, in fact, did kiss. It would be heartbreaking and the starting point of his own career flushing down a toilet. He didn't want that, that's for sure. And he really didn't want his fans to hate and bash on him. He loved them all, and if the world was gonna exclude him, then he'll be practically left with nothing.

"Is there a picture?" Carlos asked, feeling quite dumb. He knew that there was already a leaked photo of him and Jo.

Seconds later, his phone beeped. Carlos looked at its screen and saw that James had sent him two images. With a hesitant finger, he opened it and soon let his jaw drop at the sight.

In his hands was a blurry picture of Carlos smacking his lips against Jo. Then next to it was a very clear one that showed Jo slapping Carlos away from him.

He brought his cell phone back up to his ear, his hands shaking. He had no clue what to do at this point. He just wished that Kendall wouldn't be able to hear the news, but that would be impossible. It was destined to happen, and he just got to be prepared for the worst.

"Are you still there?" James asked through the line connection. "Carlos?"

Carlos gulped. "Yeah, I'm still—"

Gustavo's voice interrupted him, saying, "You are going to die, Carlos! Die, I say! _Die_!" It was clear that Gustavo was enraged by this.

As Gustavo kept on ranting and yelling, Carlos slowly pulled his phone away and squinted his eyes shut while pinching the bridge of his nose to tell himself to calm down.

"Uh, is everything alright?" Kendall suddenly questioned.

Carlos turned around and saw that the tall blond cocked his head slightly to one side as he raised an eyebrow at him. And at the sight of his suspicious, Carlos felt like breaking down.

Kendall went on in his interrogation. "Why is Gustavo calling you? What the heck did you do? And what is up with him freaking out and stating out death threats?"

"I think it would be better to tell you when we get home," Carlos suggested as he flipped his phone close. He thought about all the possibilities of Kendall getting reckless and hurt while they were in the woods, and he didn't want to harm him at all.

"Then we're going home," Kendall declared, grabbing Jo's hand and dragging her back to the train station. "I want to find out what happened."

* * *

**A/N: So this was originally going to be a one-shot, but it's pretty long. And I don't know about you, but I get overwhelmed whenever I have to read long texts, especially when the size is miniature.  
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**Reviews are much appreciated. Just want to hear if you guys like this or not. Even so, if you happened to read the whole thing, you just earn major, major cool points.**

**And this story is dedicated to three amazing writers and people: **Runs with Werewolfs**, **iBeNinja**, and **TheRescuer2**.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Big Time Rush or any of its characters. Just me and my imagination. But please be aware that this story is entirely inspired by the music video of "Just So You Know" by Jesse McCartney. It's a song that everyone should listen to. At some point in life, you probably have experienced the true meaning of this incredible song.

* * *

**Just So You Know**

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* * *

**

By the time Kendall, Jo, and Carlos came back from their trip, Palm Woods looked deserted. Aside from Mr. Bitters guarding the front entrance tiredly and sleepily, the lobby was practically empty. The three teenagers wondered why but soon shook the thought out of their minds, especially Kendall. He was so determined to find out what happened a couple of hours ago, and he had a bad feeling that he wasn't going to like it, which is certainly weird because he never did care for anything that involved Gustavo and his obnoxious yells and over exaggerating demands.

As Carlos sauntered across the room, he kept thinking about Kendall and his upcoming reaction. To be honest, he had no clue how his best friend would take the horrible news. All he knew was that he was eventually going to punished and face torturous consequences. And coming to think of it, he realized how he was going to have to give a reasonable explanation to the media and press, saying how truly sorry he was and that people shouldn't betray their best friends unless they were sacrificing their close bonds and friendships.

Meanwhile, Jo Taylor stood a few feet away from her boyfriend. She was aware that by the end of the night, Kendall Knight may not be her soul mate anymore. She began sobbing at the thought. She didn't want to let Kendall slip out of her fingers. He meant everything to her. Literally. Kendall was like the air she breathes, and without him, she wouldn't be able to live. But then again, as people say, "If you truly love someone, you have to let them go." So, does Jo even love Kendall then? Or was this all a simple crush?

Once he heard his girlfriend weeping, Kendall slowed down as he worriedly stared at her. By now, his stomach was all tied in knots. Without a doubt, he wasn't prepared to hear the horrifying dilemma. According to Jo's sobs, Kendall figured that the girl did something wrong while he was gone and Carlos somehow had a part in it. But unlike Logan, he wasn't the type of guy who jumps to conclusions. He was going to be a good friend and listen to both of their stories before accusing and blaming them for whatever they did. It was the right thing to do, and he couldn't do anything about it.

Kendall questioned his girlfriend, being serious, "What's wrong? Please tell me what happened."

At the sound of his raspy voice, Carlos stopped in his tracks and snapped his head up to face the two lovebirds. He soon began to hyperventilate, worried about Jo and whether or not she was going to tell the boy the truth right at this moment. He wished that she wouldn't, knowing how Mrs. Knight, James, Logan, Katie, and Kelly would try to support and protect him from getting attacked by Kendall and Gustavo even though they are all disappointed with his behavior and actions.

With one swift motion, Jo wiped the tears that were rapidly forming in her eyes. She then forced a smile and went up on her tiptoes to kiss the blond on the closest cheek. "I just don't want to lose you, Kendall. I love you, and I'm honestly falling head over heels."

As if he had forgotten all about Carlos, Kendall engulfed Jo into a warm embrace and pecked the top of her head, giving his girlfriend a caring kiss. "You won't lose me. I promise you that... Whatever happens up there, I'll always love you. No one can change that."

Even if he regretted the fact that he deceived his best friend, Carlos still felt uneasy whenever Kendall and Jo were awfully close together. It disgusted him. And so he loudly cleared his throat and coughed exactly two times to disrupt the so-called precious moment. "We came back here early for a reason. Don't forget it," he reminded them, letting anger take full control of him. But seconds later, he wished he could have just held that frustration back and let Kendall and Jo be romantic or whatever, knowing that he might have a huge chance of getting out alive.

Kendall pursed his lips together and looked down. He then mumbled under his own breath, saying, "Right…"

* * *

As they strolled down the long hallway that led to the guys' shared apartment, Carlos thought about stalling Kendall. And to start, he began to shout random notes, like the following: "Hey, there's a huge spider," "I'm bored," "I think I forgot something," "No one's home," and "I'm sorry about the time when I…" Occasionally, he would throw in those stupid and lame _Knock, Knock_ jokes that are heard basically every single day if a little juvenile kid lived with you and owned a pocketbook filled with pranks and advice on how to annoy people.

Kendall gave his face a gentle hit with his hands, not wanting to damage it since his mother and Logan insisted that slapping yourself will get you nowhere in life. "Please shut up," he snarled, not in the mood to hear any more complaints or distractions.

Carlos sighed. "Okay…"

And as they became closer to their apartment, the three teenagers could faintly hear strangers calling out their names. They also could have sworn that they heard things clicking and saw lights brightly flashing.

Kendall looked behind as he slowed down his pace, wondering if other people were following right behind them. To his luck, there seemed to be no one left. He let out a sigh of relief as he turned around again to face the right direction. His hand soon slipped into Jo's, sending chills up the girl's spine. Who knew that she was just as nervous as Carlos?

As they rounded their last corner, they spot several adults and teens crowding in front of their door. Many were snapping pictures, which made no sense since no one was standing in front of them, just a bare door. Fortunately, however, they have noticed the group's presence yet, so they were safe for a couple of seconds. And as the three teen sensations stopped, their eyes grew wide open at the sight of the audience that had seemed to populate over this one terrible mistake.

Suddenly, the front door opened, revealing a tired-looking Katie Knight. Kendall let out a soft gasp. She shouldn't be handling this kind of junk at this age. It could simple brainwash her own devious mind and ruin her innocence.

"Guys, they're not here. Give it up, you morons," Katie grumbled, saying it as politely as she possibly can. She then let out a yawn as her eyes began to wander the area. "They left like a couple of days ago, and they probably won't be back until—"

Kendall pursed his lips together and faked a smile once his baby sister's eyes landing on him and his pack of followers. And for a brief second, the two siblings gave each other a certain look, communicating telepathically. The tall blond soon watched as his baby sister's head flew inside the household.

"Dopesauce!" Katie sharply yelled inside, holding in a breath. She then quickly snapped her head back at the photographers and flashed a small smile, not wanting to give the strangers any hints of their arrival.

Figuring that something weird was going on, they strangers turned their heads to the direction where the little girl was staring at before. But in the nick of time, Kendall, Jo, and Carlos slipped behind the corner and let out big huffs, getting seriously worried. They didn't expect to draw such a huge crowd, and they really didn't want to talk to anyone or explain to the public what had happened. It could cause unnecessary drama and rivalry between their two companies and publishers.

Suddenly, they could hear the clicking of the cameras stopping and the sound of footprints replacing it. Eventually, the hidden teens could feel the ground beneath their feet rumbling, guessing that the crowd became terrified at the sight of someone and ran off the other direction. But not wanting to take any chances, Kendall, Jo, and Carlos were glued to the wall, each glancing at each other and wondering the same thing.

"They're gone," Katie's voice whispered to them.

Wanting to make sure, Kendall took a careful glance behind the corner to make sure that the people were at least far enough from eye sight. And once he saw no stranger in visibility range, he took a small step forward and grinned at his baby sister. Jo and Carlos let out a sigh of relief before sending each other icy glares, practically threatening to kill one another after this mess was settled.

Kendall strolled down the hallway until he reached the front door. And once he was close enough, he pulled Katie into a warm hug as he kissed the top of her forehead, showing his gratitude. His eyes soon looked up, seeing Freight Train standing taller than ever. The tall blond chuckled, having the feeling that he was the reason why all the people ran off, horrified from getting beaten up by a huge security guard.

"Are you sure you're not related to King Kong?" Kendall joked, grinning sheepishly, as he pounded one of Freight Train's clenched fists that he offered.

Freight Train faked a smile and adjusted his posture, standing up straighter and gaining more height. "Frankly, I believe—"

Gustavo's snarling voice interrupted the big man midway, asking, "Where is he?" The music producer then pushed his way past the others to get up front and meet the people who might cause him to lose his own job and beloved mansion. Like a radar, his head snapped to face the Latino. His eyes were quickly starting to become bloodshot red, his cheeks were already getting puffy, and his lungs were prepared to burst like a popped balloon and lose all the air that was in them.

Freaked out at what the man was capable of doing to him, Carlos jumped behind Jo, using the girl for protection. At this point, he had to admit that he felt kind of like James. He didn't want his face to receive any permanent damage for once. And in an instant, he cursed under his breath, swearing at himself for leaving his prized black hockey helmet on top of his bed. He needed it badly right now, and Carlos had a pretty darn good feeling that Gustavo was going to throw a hard rock, aiming for his head to possibly cause a concussion or amnesia, at any moment.

Having enough of him, Jo elbowed Carlos in the guts, telling the Latino to leave her alone. He was the reason why the world suddenly stopped anyways, and she didn't want to be stuck in his life anymore. She wanted Kendall Knight, not Carlos Garcia. And if she had the chance, she would tell the short brunette off, officially banning him out of her own life. It was made clear that he couldn't have her. Jo wasn't going to let him. Besides, her schedule was already busy, majority of it is spending time with Kendall in the nearby future.

Carlos yelped and soon bit his lower lip, refusing to scream any louder. There was a likely chance that it could draw attention to nearby neighbors and visitors.

"I hate you," Jo muttered loud enough for only Carlos to hear, looking down at the carpeted floor.

As expected, Gustavo marched his way towards Carlos, not caring if he shoved anyone out of his way. He planned on punishing the Latino, but he honestly had no clue what to do. In fact, Gustavo Rocque had never experienced this type of situation before. Although some of his past members might have fought over the same girl, he was still able to control the problem and tame the teens. But for the first time in boy band history, things were going way too far. He never actually imagined innocent-looking Carlos to be such a rebel and let all his feelings gush that easily. He was the last person on his list, right after Logan after the brainiac had reached the stage of having too much swagger. Then again, however, Carlos did do everything to Sasha to show how much he was crazy for her before he realized that it was all a stupid act planned by the devil himself.

Frightened, Carlos began to take a couple of steps back. His chocolate eyes then grew at the object that was in Gustavo's hands. He hadn't noticed it before simply because the man was hiding it behind his back. But right now, it was obviously shown, and it was a nice polished wooden baseball bat. His heart began to pound inside his chest as Gustavo played with the inanimate object by hitting the tip against the palm of his left hand. For a moment, Carlos felt like he was trapped in a cheesy drama film that had originality whatsoever.

Kendall shouted as he ran up to the man, exclaiming, "Stop!" He then snatched the bat out of Gustavo's hands and threw it over his shoulders, hoping that his baby sister would catch it and keep it safe. "A bat is properly used to hit a baseball and make a home run, or at least try to. You can't just pummel him."

Gustavo growled in a deep voice. "Oh, I was gonna slam this ball-headed freak to run home alright..."

"There's no reason, Gustavo. You need to take a chill pill," the tall blond reminded him, starting to fool around.

Gustavo turned to face Kendall and soon his lips formed a ridiculous smirk, which scared the teenage boy. "I think you'll need to take a chill pill once you hear what your so-called best friend did while you were out."

Kendall craned his neck. He began to get nervous once more, not wanting to get to this point. In other words, he was stalling the whole time because he knew that the news wasn't going to please him one bit. "Then what did he do?"

In one breath, Gustavo told Kendall the truth, saying, "Carlos Garcia betrayed you, Kendall Knight. How, you ask? Well, he simply kissed your girlfriend right behind your back."

Kendall knew it was coming. Still he stood motionless. His mouth was beginning to dry, and he felt as if he was carrying the weight of the Earth. He needed a break somehow or one way or another, but he just couldn't find it. It was like his feet were nailed to the ground and there was no way of escaping the situation. He had to face it, and his mind was doing its best to decide how he should react.

"Kendall, I'm sorry," Carlos blabbed out. Hot tears were starting to form in his eyes, and it wasn't because of the mistake of kissing Jo and hurting the girl. It was because he had hurt his best friend and practically scarred and ripped a piece of trust from his friend's big heart. By now, he hoped to gain his trust back and he wondered if Kendall could ever forgive him.

Still speechless, Jo clung onto her boyfriend and began sobbing once more. "I'm sorry, too. But don't blame him entirely. He didn't know what he was doing. He just let his pride overcome him, Kendall."

"We need to go inside," Logan declared, finally coming out of the apartment. "No need to cause any disturbances."

And leaving on that note, Gustavo, Katie, and Freight Train entered the room. Jo and Carlos soon followed behind, feeling depressed and guilty. On the other hand, Kendall stayed outside, having no idea what to do. Luckily, James also came out and helped Logan drag their best friend back inside. And once that happened, Mrs. Knight quickly shut the door behind them and locked it, not wanting any others to enter her place.

* * *

Hours later, Kendall found himself lying against the bright orange furniture, spacing out. He felt like a small star in field of others that were bigger than him. And he didn't like to think about this but Carlos seemed to be the Sun, outshining every fellow member with its rays.

People in the apartment stayed silent as they watched the tall blond intently, hoping to keep him alive.

"Are you sure he isn't dead?" Katie questioned her mother, looking up at the woman. "It seems like he could be."

"He's just a fish out of the water," Mrs. Knight explained, flashing a small smile. "He's fine."

James squinted his eyes together and shifted in his seat on the revolving high stool as he tilted his head to get a closer look at one of his best friends. "So, when is he going to be back in and face reality?"

Logan glanced down at his wristwatch as he leaned closer to the kitchen countertop next to James. "According to my calculations, we'll hear a response from Kendall in less than a minute."

"This is all my fault..." Carlos mumbled, feeling ashamed, as he slapped both hands against his caramel face.

Kelly Wainwright slightly smiled as she rubbed small circles on the Latino's back, trying her best to comfort him. And with her free hand, she slapped Gustavo upside his head in frustration.

"Why the heck would you tell the boy?" she said, glaring at the boss. "You had no right to do that... Carlos could have handled the problem better. You know, you just made things worse."

"I don't care!" Gustavo spat out, glowering down at his assistant. "All I care about is my job and this band!"

"Never thought that Gustavo would actually care about us," James snickered, specifically talking to Logan and Katie. "How nice."

"Zip it!" ordered the man, glaring at the tall brunette.

Jo let out a depressing sigh as she continued to stroke Kendall's hair front out of his face as he was lying his head on her lap. She then forced a smile once her boyfriend's eyes landed on hers, showing how much she truly was sorry and that she still loves him deeply.

"I don't get it..." Kendall finally spoke up, letting out a huge breath. "Carlos... Jo... Me... Confusion..."

"If you don't want to talk to me anymore or even be my friend, I completely understand," Carlos choked out, watching ad Kendall sat up straight to face the others. "In fact, I'll gladly kick myself out of the band just so everything will come back together."

Kendall pursed his lips together. He wasn't planning on saying anything back merely because he still made no decision on how he should have felt. Some part of him wants to kill the crap out of the boy as the other just wants him to grieve and be miserable for the rest of his life. But in addition, a tiny part held him back and made him felt understanding and compassionate about this situation. Kendall Knight just had mixed feelings, and he really doesn't know what to do.

"Carlos, even without you here, everything won't be normal," Logan admitted, genuinely smiling, as he approached his best friend to comfort him. "And everyone knows that there's no Big Time Rush without the helmet-headed member and his crazy stunts... It just won't be the same."

"It's gonna be 'Jamez' all over again, expect no one's gonna offer you to go big time," Katie added, laughing at the sophisticated times and obstacles that blocked her older brothers from performing their first concert event and starting their world tour.

James rolled his eyes as his expression turned sour. He hated to be reminded of Hawk and his special enhancement device that could record his own singles and apparently change his thin lips into a pair of fuller ones.

Kendall stood up slowly and took in a deep breath, hesitating. He then slipped his hands into his pockets as he faked a smile at the Latino. "Carlos, I'm not mad. I'm just... Surprised. Overly surprised... And I still can't believe you would do something like that."

Jo nodded and smiled. She soon stood up and was next to Kendall's side. "I'm also appalled. I couldn't believe that you would kiss me and tell me that you loved me."

Everyone but Carlos blinked in puzzlement while they all exchanged looks. "Wait. What?"

"You told her?" Logan asked, screeching at Carlos. He threw his hands up and suddenly felt like yanking out his hair in frustration. "Why? I highly advised you not to!"

Kendall was twice as shocked now. And instead of understanding, he began to fill rage rising up inside him. He wanted to punch something hard and dent it one way or another. Right now, his preferred object and target was the Latino's face.

"You knew?" Kendall asked Logan, his mouth gaping open. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Logan froze. He didn't expect for the tables to turn on him. He thought this was all about Carlos and Jo. "I, uh... Sorry?"

"Kendall, don't blame Logan on this. He was only trying to help," James said, speaking softly. "And Carlos really didn't mean to."

Carlos gulped as his head hung down, looking at the tiled floor of their shared apartment. "Actually, I did."

By now, everyone was staring at the Latino with ears wide open. On the other hand, Jo was gripping onto Kendall's arms just in case he was going to let her go.

Ignoring the others, Carlos glanced up at Kendall and flashed a small smile. "I love Jo... I know it's wrong since you have her, but I do. And I don't know when or how this happened, but my mind is going ballistic... I can't stand you two together for some reason. The weird part of this is that I let my emotions take full control of me, which I never do... I'm so sorry, Kendall. I really am. And if you shun me out of your life, I won't complain..."

Kendall shook Jo's hands away from him, not wanting to be touched, as he intently looked at Carlos. He was expecting him to continue on with his explanation, but it didn't seem to come.

Jo looked down and bit her lower lip in frustration, thinking about this whole mess. "Kendall, you know I love you. And this is just a simple mistake. Please don't give Carlos the boot or whatever. He's really a good guy... And you promised me... You said you weren't going to let me go, right?"

Now everyone was looking at the tall blond, waiting for his answer.

"I'm sorry," Kendall softly spoke, talking into space and making no eye contact with anyway. "I need to think about this first... Clear my mind..."

* * *

**A/N: Ugh, this story is longer than I expected. And yes, I am not finish with this. But I promise you that the next one will be the final and the ending. I swear. I just had to end it here 'cause I seriously don't know what I'm going to do with Kendall. I'm getting mixed emotions on him and these jumbled up ideas that are killing me. Key word: killing. Subject: Kendall... Yeah, that's one idea that is in my mind...**

**If you have any ideas or suggestions, please don't hesitate to voice out.**

**And I'm sending a huge thank you for those of you who have read this whole thing, reviewed, and/or added this story to your lists. You have no idea how happy I was when I found out that at least some people went through this thing.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Big Time Rush or any of its characters. Just me and my imagination. But please be aware that this story is entirely inspired by the music video of "Just So You Know" by Jesse McCartney. It's a song that everyone should listen to. At some point in life, you probably have experienced the true meaning of this incredible song.

* * *

**Just So You Know**

* * *

Kendall Knight found himself sitting behind a driver's wheel. He sighed to himself as he stared at the scenery in front of him. It was nighttime, but there were hardly any stars showing in the sky. The crescent moon was the only thing shining, proudly flashing off its craters.

The rental car was parked in the Palm Woods lot. Kendall felt like taking a quick drive around town for awhile to get away but kept on changing his mind. He didn't know what to do at this point. He thought about sleeping in the vehicle until the next morning to cool his mind off but then realized it would probably be a bad idea. Easily, he could be videotaped and paparazzi could make up crazy rumors about him even if it was just a small nap. Plus, he had a good feeling that people were going to disturb him by knocking on the windows and asking him to sign something valuable for them.

Without knowing, Kendall let the anger rush inside him. His hands slapped the wheel, causing the horn to honk. Once it made its noise, he finally woke up from his trance. Nothing was going to change unless he personally wanted to change it himself. It was a proven fact, and he was determined to do so. He still had no clue how, though.

The tall blond leaned against the protective layering of the chair, thinking excessively. It was then that he noticed he was going nuts. What the hell was he trying to change anyways? Whatever happened earlier must have been destiny. Still, he didn't want to believe that. He liked to think that he was the perfect one for Jo Taylor, not Carlos. For some reason, however, he couldn't get the idea stuck in his mind. Additionally, in the meantime, as an image of Carlos and Jo appeared, he didn't get mad. All he did was smile and felt happiness. It was weird.

"But I love Jo... Don't I?" Kendall asked himself, having an abstract expression on his face. He shook his head, getting the picture out of his head and instead replacing Carlos with him.

All of a sudden, he felt something tingling inside him. It was a certain emotion, but he couldn't guess what it could be. He clutched his stomach in annoyance as he looked down, finding it difficult. Kendall was starting to gain a stomachache, and his mind wasn't feeling too good either. He wanted to throw up simply because he felt sick. Was he lovesick? He couldn't answer.

His hands vibrated against the cotton fabric of his sweater, which he threw on a couple of minutes ago. It simply meant that someone was trying to contact him. Kendall ignored it and held onto his stomach tighter, pressing his pale hands harder and practically squeezing the air out of him. He was positive that he wasn't going to die by this ridiculous action. Although, he thought about the idea.

Maybe it was better if he committed suicide. Everything will finally fall back into the right place. Then again, that was no good either. Not only will his family and friends mourn for his death but his fans as well. Plus, everything he had worked for to get to this point in life will be pointless if crumpled his life and threw it away.

"Kendall?"

Startled, Kendall let out a heavy breath as his eyes slowly maneuvered their way to look at the rear view mirror. His green eyes soon spot a teenage girl staring back at him with a worried expression. He grimaced as he squinted his eyes, trying to get a better look. He could have sworn he saw her before, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe she was just one those fanatic fans.

As the unknown figure made her way towards the driver's side, Kendall noticed how she was about Carlos' height. She had long straight dark brown hair, which hung past her mid-back, and a fairly tanned skin. Her eyes were piercing purple, and he realized that she was hardly wearing any makeup. She was naturally beautiful, and he respected that. And coming to think of it, Kendall rarely got a chance to look at Jo without all her glitz and glamour done.

The girl softly spoke, saying, "Hey, are you okay?"

Not wanting to talk to anyone, he pretended that he was deaf. He acted like he couldn't hear the girl at all. Though there was a barrier between them, he could easily listen to every word the teenager said loud and clear.

He looked back down. His hands were beginning to back away from his stomach. Once more, however, he felt his phone vibrating in the pocket. It was the second time.

The brunette nervously laughed as she stared onto the gravel ground. "Yeah, I know I may seem like a stalker, but I'm… I'm just concerned… I heard about Carlos and Jo, and I was wondering if—"

Kendall somehow made the girl's voice tuned out, acting as if she was a radio station and he was turning the knob to decrease the volume. He wasn't in the proper mood to hear any more of the nonsense about his girlfriend and his so-called best friend, especially since he didn't know what to do about it himself. He wasn't about to take any advice from strangers anyways. It really wasn't his thing, but the thought that he was acting like a wimp made made him upset. He was supposed to be the valiant and bold leader, not a sensitive follower.

"I don't want to talk about it..." Kendall mumbled. He was aware that the girl couldn't hear him one bit, but he still felt like expressing himself. To add on, he slammed a clenched fist against the center of the wheel, making the car honk yet again.

Taken aback, the teenage girl leaped backwards with her eyes wide open. She then raised open hands, showing her palms, as a sign of defeat. "I get it, I get it... I'll leave... But I just want you to know that majority of your fans don't want you to break up your friendship with Carlos. It's too precious to ruin, Kendall... Most of us also think that you're better off without Jo... For your information, she's just using you..."

Kendall wanted to slap the girl. Who was she to judge his girlfriend and control his own personal life? How the hell would she even know about what their fans were thinking? It just didn't add up.

As if she could read his mind, the teenage girl grinned sheepishly and stood up perfectly straight, adjusting her posture and showing such poise and confidence. "Oh, sorry! I forgot to mention that I'm the president of Big Time Rush's official fan club, and I'm also Jo's cousin... Hi, I'm Desiree Myra Alexander."

Everything started to make sense again. He remembered Jo showing him pictures of her family a couple of months ago, and Desiree was her favorite cousin whom Jo could trust and reveal her secrets to without any hesitation. Last time he checked, however, Desiree was making a living in Utah. So, what the heck was she doing here?

Kendall stayed silent. He leaned back against the seat harder and closed his eyes shut, wanting peace and no disturbances. He waited until the sound of footsteps grew, figuring that the girl was eventually going to walk away and leave him alone. Although, it never happened.

He let his left eye open and saw that Desiree was now standing in front of the car. Because of it, he jumped out of his seat and sighed. He could never get what he wanted with this girl around. She's so quiet and seemed innocent, yet she could be a straightforward person.

Seconds later, his mind thought of Carlos. Desiree Myra Alexander reminded him of Carlos, and he doesn't know why.

* * *

"Is he still out there?"

"Take a look for yourself, you idiot," Katie snapped back, not facing the Latino. Because she hated seeing her older brother acting so strange and hateful, it was obvious that she was mad at Carlos. Still, she wanted everything to go back to normal.

Carlos rolled his eyes as he hopped on the couch that was set in the lobby. He then made a hole through the blinds by inserting fingers in a certain section and either pushing it up or down. To give him more room, Katie Knight left the furniture and stood up James while letting out a sleepy yawn.

James smiled as he ruffled the little girl's hair. "Go sleep."

"Don't tell me what to do," she said grumpily, slouching.

From a safe distance, Jo Taylor went on her tiptoes to look at the commotion. Logan was standing next to her, trying his best to comfort her. Being as gentle as possible, he began to rub little circles on her back. He didn't want to be caught in more drama. And as he showed the girl how much he cared, some part of him wished for Camille to take his place, knowing how much better his destined-to-be girlfriend can handle this situation. He was pretty sure that the brunette had landed a role that covered this kind of disaster. Unfortunately for him, Camille booked her first major part in a television show, and she and the cast are currently shooting their special breakup episode in Florida.

"Logan, you dummy, just call her," he said to himself, getting frustrated. Who knew that he could become so stressed out that he actually considered himself to be clueless?

Logan let Jo sob depressingly for awhile as he reached inside his pockets to grab his cell phone. Once it was out, he scrolled through his contacts until he spot that particular name. Soon enough, Logan could hear the girl's voice on the other line. He smiled, already missing her.

"What do you want?" Camille asked in a harsh tone. She then yawned, and Logan immediately regretted calling. He should had known that the girl was asleep after a long day on set. Plus, he felt dumb for forgetting the different time zones.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he quickly said, apologizing. "Um, I'll hang up now so you can rest. Besides, I don't want you to get into trouble because of me..."

Camille let out a small laugh. She soon stopped and coughed twice, causing Logan to worry. "Don't worry. I'm fine. And you won't get me in trouble 'cause they gave me the day off tomorrow. That and I'm sick... So, what's happening there?"

Logan raised his eyebrows in curiosity. He thought that Camille would have heard about the terrible news that was literally spreading like a virus. Apparently, he was wrong.

Snapping out of his deep thoughts, he shook his head frantically and remained on the topic. "Kendall got cheated on."

"Jett Stetson kissed Jo?" she questioned, barely using her full voice. "Well, I'm really not that surprised. I'm just a bit shock by the fact that Kendall didn't beat the crap out of him or anything. If he did, the news would become be worldwide."

"The news is becoming worldwide, Camille. And it's not Jett, it's Carlos."

"Kendall... Jo... Carlos..." she paused between every word, trying to imagine it. "But that... That doesn't make any sense. I don't believe it... Carlos is a sweet guy, and I'd hate to—"

"Oh, it happened alright," Logan slurred out, continuing to comfort Jo beside him once the girl cried out hysterically, causing James, Carlos, and Katie to look at them. "Kendall has no idea what to do, and meanwhile, Jo is losing it... I need your help."

Camille sighed. As much as she loved her friends, she hated getting pulled into things that doesn't even concern her one bit. "Let me talk to her."

* * *

This was getting out of hand. Kendall was sure of it.

Maybe he was just hallucinating the whole time. Heck, maybe this was all a crazy dream, yet there's got to be a reasonable explanation to this madness. Things never seemed to be so challenging that it came to the point of saying it's unmanageable. It deeply scared him, and he didn't want to lose the girl he loved or his best friend. Still, he felt like one of them should pay the consequences.

For what his instincts are telling him, Carlos Garcia should be the one paying the toll. In his perspective and how the others described it, Carlos planned for this to happen as Jo was in total shock. Although, it didn't feel right. Carlos was his best friend, and he should be forgiven. Can Kendall do that? Possibly.

Though, what about Jo? Even if she did nothing intentional, she did keep this away from him. Besides, what's a relationship without trust? A lack of honesty could never work, and he wanted to share his whole like with the most truthful person in the world. Apparently, it wasn't Jo. And even if he did forgive her, what would happen? This event would still be like an obstacle. It'll always be brought up, and Kendall couldn't take that. He didn't want to take that path. So, does this mean that he doesn't love Jo Taylor in the first place? You know what they say, "If you truly love them, forgive the unforgivable."

"Damn!" Kendall's mouth accidentally slipped, slapping his hand onto the car's center steering wheel once again. He forgot about Desiree already. He just wanted to get out of his life and pretend to be someone else, or ar least someone who has no love life.

"Dude, relax!" warned the girl standing in front of the vehicle, practically yelling. She then slammed her clenched fists on the front hood of the rental car, unexpectedly making a small yet noticeable dent. "Get a hold of yourself, buddy! Your life is not over! Get back in there and end this craziness!... You're a Knight, and Knights don't back down!"

Kendall stared back at her blankly. Who was she to judge who? Although, he got to admit, he appreciated and respected her for the determination and the hard work.

It was then that Kendall felt prepared to finally speak with the girl, so he inserted the keys in the ignition and started the car. He then rolled down his side window as the girl slowly approached him with a puzzled look on her face.

"I don't need any of your charitable help," Kendall assured her, about ready to press the gas pedal and leave. "I'm fine on my own."

Desiree pursed her lips together as she backed away from the vehicle, seeming as if she was letting him leave. "Don't do anything stupid, Kendall. Don't be careless. People need you and want you here."

"I still don't seem to catch that message," Kendall snapped back as he manage to put the gear in reverse. "Sorry to disappoint you."

And with that, he rolled up the window and backed out of the tight space of the lot. He then shoved the shift gear in drive, and eventually drove out of Palm Woods for a little ride around town.

* * *

"Camille, he's leaving," Jo breathed out through Logan's phone that was still attached to her ear. "What is he doing? Why is he going? What the heck is going on?"

"Don't panic, okay? He just needs to be alone for awhile," Camille declared, sounding almost positive. "Trust me. I know these kind of stuff."

"Uh, who was that girl out in the parking lot with him anyways?" James perked up, kneeling next to Carlos on the couch to take a quick peek.

The Latino shrugged as he sighed, showing defeat. "I honestly have no idea."

"What girl?" Jo coughed up, her voice shaking. She gripped Logan's phone tighter, hoping to find an answer.

"There's some chick outside who was talking to Kendall. Must be a fan, I guess," James responded, turning around to face the others. He sheepishly grinned and announced, "Can I just mention how happy I am that Mrs. Knight, Kelly, and Freight Train practically forced Gustavo out of this place and towards his own mansion so that we don't have to handle his constant shrieks?"

Katie laughed. "Who in here is appalled by the fact that Carlos's head is still attached to his body?"

Shyly, James and Logan raised a hand, causing Carlos to shot them a certain look.

Meanwhile, Jo Taylor was trying to figure out who the mysterious woman was. How come she didn't see her? What the hell did she want with Kendall?

Her questions were soon answered the minute the two glass entrance doors swung open, revealing a petite brunette all bundled up in an oversize hot pink vest. By the way she was trembling on her way across the lobby, the others figured she was trying to adjust to the warm weather compared to the chilly one outside. Jo's eyes soon widened once she recognized that fragile figure. It was none other than her beloved cousin.

Jo hurried over to her relative, completely dropping the phone without knowing, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Desiree stopped in her tracks as she gracefully turned around to face her older cousin. "I figured you needed a shoulder to cry on, so I'm taking the task."

"I don't need anything," she snapped back. She shook her head moments later, realizing how horrible she must have acted. It wasn't like her anyways. "I'm sorry..."

Desiree rolled her eyes. "Apologize to Kendall and to Carlos."

"Kendall? Of course. Carlos? Heck no."

Watching from a good distance away, James, Carlos, and Katie exchanged puzzled looks. None of them had a clue what was going on. Fortunately, however, Logan knew exactly what was occurring. And by now, he retrieved his phone from the floor and told Camille that he'll call her once things cool down.

"Don't lie. Tell them the truth. Everything," Desiree snarled, glaring at the taller blond.

Jo stood motionless in shock. Whoever she was talking to right at this moment is certainly not her cousin but a monster who freakishly knows every deep and darkest secret of her life. Of course, Jo couldn't handle the pressure. But then again, she shouldn't be afraid of the young one. The fact that she is older and much wiser should help her stay strong, stand out, and defend herself. She wasn't going to let any words or actions bring her down. She is Jo Taylor, not a wimp.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she responded, glowering down at the figure.

"You know exactly what I mean."

Jo already made a plan. She was going to deny everything no matter how long the conversation was going to last. She wasn't going to crack or cave in. "I really don't know what—"

"You're a lying, cheating phony!" Desiree cried out, causing the others to gasp.

By then, Logan was standing next to Katie by the furniture, along with James and Carlos. Out of the four of them, Logan seemed to be the most furious. He honestly trusted Jo with his own heart and soul. She was like his adopted sister. Although, if she did abandon them for some odd reason, Logan was ready to shun her out for good.

Having a feeling that Katie was going to beat the living daylights out of the blond in any moment, Logan gripped on the little girl's shoulders to lessen the tension. He began to massage them gently, knowing that it helped the child to calm down. He would know anyways. He had done this plenty of times to Kendall whenever he was either having a bad day or was randomly frustrated at something or someone.

Logan then pressed his lips against the top of Katie's head as a sign of love and protection. As of right now, she needed a big brother, and since Kendall was nowhere in sight nor available, he was willing to take the job. Actually, any of the guys were more than happy to take care of their little princess.

Speechless, Jo stayed silent. She didn't know what to say. Besides, Desiree couldn't prove anything, right?

"You used Kendall to reach fame. You planned this all out way before you arrived."

"I only met him here, so how could I even—"

"Oliver told me everything."

Jo blinked. "Oliver? As in, Oliver Chandler?... M-my...?"

Desiree smirked. She got her cousin right where she wanted. "Yeah, your boyfriend."

"Excuse me?" Katie choked out, stomping her way over to Jo to give her a good beating. Logan restrained her from doing so, with the help of James, by pulling her back.

"Katie," warned Logan, literally snarling through gritted teeth as he glared down at her. He wasn't mad at Katie, but he was also doing his best to stop himself from beating the crap out of Jo. He was already in disgrace just by even staring at the pretty blond.

"Wait," Carlos ordered, raising up a hand as he shook his head to try to get the facts straight. "Jo's a two-timer?"

"Didn't expect that, now did you?" Desiree asked the others with a slight encouraging smile.

James scratched his head. "But she's with Kendall..."

"In order to gain fame and popularity," the girl repeated as if finishing off his sentence.

"Now, why does the name Oliver Chandler sounds familiar?" Carlos asked. He didn't get the problem at all.

"Oliver moved from North Carolina to Minnesota our freshmen year," Logan stated, remembering the guy. "We used to be friends with him before Jenny made him move to a different school... Now that you mentioned it, I always felt like he was following and watching us. It was as if he knew we were going to end up to be a famous boy band."

"Oh, God..." James blurred out, shaking his head incredulously. "It all makes sense now..." He turned towards Carlos. "Hey, don't you remember the time when we would go to the park on random days and Oliver just happened to be coincidentally there?"

Carlos nodded and smiled to himself. For once, he connected the dots to figure out a puzzle that was actually necessary. "I get it now. Oliver Chandler was Jo's spy."

"Exactly," Desiree responded, grinning with such pride. She glared at Jo and smirked. She knew that if she told the others how Jo's devious scheme worked, the pretty blond's career would be over in no time. Paparazzi will figure out sooner or later as the media will pressure Jo to tell the truth about her entire life. "By the way..." She looked directly at James, making him gain interest to what she was going to say. "Gustavo Rocque did not mean to ruin your hopes of becoming a famous pop star. He was fully aware that you had the fire and talent within you. Oliver Chandler, who also happens to be Rocque's many nephews, convinced him that Kendall was the one that he was looking for. He was also the one who suggested Gustavo to come to Minnesota, knowing how you'll audition and have your friends beside you for moral support."

James snickered and let out a low growl. "That pesky, little bitch..."

"Hey!" Jo yelled at him, getting frustrated. "Don't talk about Oliver like that!"

"Oh, I wasn't," James corrected himself. He flashed an innocent grin filled with pride and added, "I was talking about you."

Katie smirked. She knew it was about to get ugly as Jo's face showed an unfriendly shade of red.

Carlos sighed. Either way, he still felt terrible about everything. It was his fault anyways that this whole hectic scene was happening, and there was nothing he can do to stop it.

Logan had a stern face, having an emotionless expression. A part of him wanted to defend Jo as another pleaded to side with James. He looked to Desiree, wondering what Jo's cousin would do. He pursed his lips together as the girl also had an uncertain look. He figured it would be best for all of them to stay neutral. Still, he couldn't let a fight run in front of his eyes when there are ways to stop it. It would be wrong.

"Huh. That's funny. I always thought you were the ugly one," Jo replied back in a calm voice. She rolled her tongue around inside her mouth, looking cool and casual. "But maybe you're right... I'm the donkey-head, and you're the fag—"

James launched himself at her. He didn't care if he was going to punch a girl. Heck, Jo was acting like a tough man. Plus, he doesn't let anyone call him names. That was uncalled for, and this pretty girl needed to be taught a lesson. Besides, he was also doing this for his best friend Kendall.

* * *

_Beep. Beep._

"Shut up!"

_Beep. Beep._

"Shut up!"

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Kendall rolled down his window, irritated. Whoever was honking behind him clearly does not know who he or she was messing with. Kendall didn't do anything wrong anyways. The light on the post was red, meaning stop. He wasn't color blind.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Kendall stuck his head out to the side and looked back. He wasn't in the mood to talk, but this person was seriously making him angry. "I'm asking you kindly now... Can you please—?"

A girl walking down the street stopped, screamed, and pointed to him. He guessed it was fan due to her eyes suddenly twinkling."Oh, my God! It's Kendall Knight!"

He sighed, sliding back inside the vehicle. He rolled back up the window, wanting some silence aside from the sonorous honks from the van behind him. He sunk down, hoping to hide himself from the girl. With a little peek, he noticed that the girl was accompanied by an adult. If he was lucky enough, the parent could assume that they're child was crazy and hallucinating and then be forced to leave in embarrassment.

Just right on time, the stoplight blinked green. In an instant, Kendall stomped on the gas pedal and headed straight towards the freeway. It was past midnight, so there shouldn't be too many cars driving. Besides, Kendall felt the need for speed. If the cops happen to chase him down, he wouldn't care. He could easily talk himself out, or at least he thought he could.

Kendall steered his direction, swerving left or right. He went on a zigzag pattern on the freeway. It felt nice for once, just feeling the adrenaline rush inside him. Although, his stomach was starting to do crazy jumps. He could feel it.

Moments later, his eyes started to drop from exhaustion. He didn't like to tell anyone, but he cried for the past couple of minutes nonstop. His heart yearned him to forgive Carlos, not Jo. His mind cried to forget everything and focus on the future. His soul advised to stay true to himself and not let this situation take the best of him.

He wanted to sleep. It was probably the only thing that could take his mind out of things, so he did. He let his eyelids shut and ears wide open for the soothing noises outside the vehicle. He was so tired that he forgot he was driving, but sleep was his only companion now.

His foot still resting on the gas pedal, Kendall rested his head onto the center of the steering wheel, placing it gently. He should have parked the car first, but it didn't matter anymore.

Seconds later, he crashed.

* * *

James raised a clawed hand, getting ready to scratch all the imperfections off of Jo's face. He was only a couple of feet away due to the fact that Carlos was holding him back.

Jo stood motionless in front of James. She didn't care anymore. She wasn't scared of him.

Carlos used his full strength to restrain the pretty boy from breaking loose. With each hard pull, he and James inched farther away from the pretty girl. He groaned in frustration, finding it challenging. He knew that even if his firm hands suddenly slipped, James would fumble downwards from all his struggling to get free and then rip the hair out of Jo.

He looked to the right in search of Logan. Carlos mouthed, "Help me."

By now, Katie was glaring at Jo. She didn't like her at all, and she was starting to like Carlos again.

Logan went over to Desiree and grabbed her attention. "Can you take Jo back to her room?"

Desiree nodded once. She grabbed Jo by her lower arm and began pulling her towards the elevators. People needed to cool down or else everything will end up in a disgusting pool of blood.

Once the two teenage girls were finally out of sight, Carlos let go of James and breathed heavily. It was tiring holding a taller boy, and his muscles were aching from the pain.

"Now, we have to find Kendall," Logan declared, sighing. He was more than exhausted. He just wanted to go back to bed, rest his head, and drift off to deep slumber. "Where do you think he could be?"

"Well, he drove off to someplace." James shrugged, cooling off. Everything seemed to be better without Jo Taylor around. She was like the hurricane that caused everyone to panic. "Any ideas?"

Just then, Katie's phone rang. Out of curiosity, she dug it out and answered it in a monotonous tone, not bother to check the caller, "Hello?"

James, Carlos, and Logan shared a troubled look as they glanced at each other. They noticed how the little girl's face suddenly began to harden and her eyes starting to turn red. In a couple of moments, they knew she was about ready to cry for some reason. They just didn't know what, but they were starting to catch the hint.

"Is he okay?" she coughed up, choking. Her knees were trembling underneath, and she needed one of the guys to catch her just in case she would collapse. "We'll be right there. Thank you." And with that, she hung up the phone and turned to face the older teenagers. "My brother's in the hospital. He crashed."

"Oh, God..." Carlos muffled through his hand in complete shock. Again, it wasn't his intention to hurt anyone.

"James, stay with Katie and get Mrs. Knight. Carlos and I will get going. We'll meet you at the hospital," Logan ordered. "At least we got our band's mobile here."

Katie shook her head, refusing to obey. "I'm going with you. He's my brother, you know."

Logan went down on his knees to Katie's height and forced a small smile. "Right now, your mom needs you. Besides, you'll see Kendall in a few minutes." He then turned to Carlos. "Go call Gustavo and Kelly."

"What about Jo and Desiree?" Carlos asked, sniffling. He wanted everyone to forgive each other. It wasn't fair if hate was among them. Hatred wasn't going to help this situation any better anyways. "They need to know, too."

"We'll tell them later. We just need to go." Logan stood tall on his feet again. He then gave Katie a reassuring look and said directly to her, "He'll be fine. I promise."

* * *

Hours later, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, Logan Mitchell, Katie Knight, Jo Taylor, Desiree Alexander, Gustavo Rocque, Kelly Wainwright, and Mrs. Knight found themselves crowding around Kendall's bed. Except for Gustavo who hated to admit the truth, all of them were sobbing. They wanted Kendall Knight to live. He was innocent from the beginning and doesn't deserve this kind of pain. Though this may seem like a tragic ending, not all of them lost hope. James expected Kendall to make the tiniest move any minute from now to tell them he's okay. Carlos knew that Kendall's eyes will flutter and immediately glare at them for not giving him any space. Logan figured that once Kendall wakes up, the tall blond will literally jump out of bed and storm out of the hospital, knowing how much Kendall hated the place. Katie awaited for her big brother to pick her up and spin her around. Jo waited for the moment to come when Kendall says that he forgives her and still wants to spend his life with her. Mrs. Knight wanted to hear her only son telling her so many times on how much she cried over the fact that he could possibly die, acting as if nothing happened.

They wanted Kendall back. They did.

But none of their fantasies came true.

Still as a rock and unconscious, Kendall rested peacefully on the bed provided for him. A piece of gauze was taped to his forehead as red liquid seeped through it. Sharp needles were at an awkward angle on his veins, connecting long cords to a machine. There was a heart rate monitor next to the mattress, showing lines in a pattern of peak shapes.

For once in his life, Logan hated everything about math. He couldn't stand the numbers in that box that supposedly assumes the end of a person. He couldn't witness the peak-like lines turning into flat line segments. And for once in his life, he didn't want to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.

"Kendall, please," Katie begged, her hand lying on top of her older brother's stomach. "Don't die on me now. I have so much to learn from you."

Carlos wiped a tear gently away from his face. He knelt down next to Katie and laughed hysterically. "You are not gonna die. I know it. You're just sleeping... God, _why don't you wake up already_?" He slammed his fists against the fabric of the bed, weeping. Anger was probably the only thing that could help him.

Logan sighed. He went down next to Carlos and patted his back. He then rubbed it carefully in slow motions, wanting for the Latino to calm down. "Kendall, just know that everyone needs you here. Please, just don't die on us."

"Man, what happened to 'forever young'?" James questioned from out of the blue, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "That was our theme song, dude. So, stick with it!"

"Kendall, I'm sorry," Jo quickly said, crying her heart out. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! If you cannot forgive me, that's fine! Just don't leave! _Please_!"

No response.

Like a threatening warning, the heart rate machine flashed little bumps. The annoying beeps were slowly beginning to fade out in their ears. Still, everyone could hear its ringing pounding in their eardrums/

"Dammit, Kendall!_ Wake up_!" Carlos shouted.

Logan winced, shutting his eyes shut. He didn't dare facing the box. Instead, he held onto Carlos and Katie for support. James joined along.

"Just so you know, I was never in love with Jo Taylor," Carlos admitted in a soft voice, looking up towards the blank ceiling. "I just realize I was jealous of her because she got to spend so much time with you... You're my best friend, and you mean so much to me... Please, Kendall. Don't go..."

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep..._

* * *

**A/N: I actually like this. Despite the ending (which I think is horrible 'cause it happened all too fast) and the fact that it took me quite some time to write down each scene and go over what I have written with cautionary, I liked how it turned out. Well, what do you think? And you decide if Kendall lives or not...  
**

**And, I am so proud of myself. I actually finished a story, and if you truly know me, you know how impossible that is. But then again, things are gonna change. It's my "New Year's Resolution"... :)**

**Oh, and for those of you who read my other stories, it might take awhile for me to update them. I'm trying my best to minimize my in-progress stories so that I can focus on certain ones.**

**By the way, I gotta give credit to **iBeNinja **for helping me with this chapter and for always being there for me. So, this is for you! :D**


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